Michael Arace commentary: Change in ownership a good sign for Browns fans

Monday

Jul 30, 2012 at 12:01 AMJul 30, 2012 at 9:14 AM

Last January, Tony Grossi, the longtime Cleveland Browns beat writer for the The Plain Dealer, got himself into trouble on Twitter. He meant to send someone a direct message and, by mistake, ended up tweeting to all of his 15,000-plus followers: "A pathetic figure, the most irrelevant billionaire in the world."

Michael Arace, The Columbus Dispatch

Last January, Tony Grossi, the longtime Cleveland Browns beat writer for the The Plain Dealer, got himself into trouble on Twitter. He meant to send someone a direct message and, by mistake, ended up tweeting to all of his 15,000-plus followers:

“A pathetic figure, the most irrelevant billionaire in the world.”

Grossi’s subject was Randy Lerner, the Browns’ owner.

Grossi was removed from the Browns beat by the newspaper, which did not want to appear biased in its coverage of the team. Grossi later resigned, and it took him no time to find other gigs (websites, radio stations, etc.) that involve Browns coverage. He knows the team like few others.

Whatever one’s view of Grossi’s misjudgment or the reaction of The Plain Dealer, the reality is that most Cleveland fans are not terrifically fond of Lerner. “Pathetic” and “irrelevant” might be too strong, but the gist of Grossi’s unfortunate tweet holds.

It might be described thusly: The Browns, despite all their struggles, remain a valued and well-loved institution in Cleveland — and Lerner comes off as a dispassionate and inept owner of this public trust.

Friday, the social media was again atwitter with Lerner and the Browns. News was spreading, quickly, that Lerner was in negotiations to sell the team. By the end of the weekend, it was being speculated that the deal might be closed quickly — maybe even before the start of the season in September.

Lerner is involved in negotiations with Tennessee businessman Jimmy Haslam III, who runs Pilot Flying J, a chain of truck stops and convenience stores. Haslam’s family owns 59 percent of the chain, which composes one of the largest private companies in the United States. According to Forbes magazine, the Haslam family is worth more than $3 billion.

Lerner, of course, inherited his wealth and his football team from his father, Al, who made his fortune in banking and bought the Browns in 1998. The elder Lerner, before his death in 2002, requested that the Browns remain within the family for at least 10 years. The time is up and, it seems, junior is relinquishing control as fast as he can.

It is not that Lerner does not care. He has always been willing to open his wallet (for good or ill), he is making sure the Browns remain in Cleveland after he severs ties and, although he has moved to New York, he will reportedly keep a 30 percent stake in the team.

Yet, his legacy will be that of an anonymous owner, largely unrecognized, even in his own locker room.

The Browns have had two winning seasons and are 47-81 in eight years under the younger Lerner’s watch. His laissez faire handling has been directionless. There has been a revolving door for presidents, general managers, coaches and players in Cleveland. The record speaks for itself.

The perception has been that Lerner is more interested in his English Premier League soccer club, Aston Villa, and one is hard-pressed to dispel such a notion.

Enter Haslam, who is heading a group that will reportedly pay $920 million for the Browns. Haslam was once part of an unsuccessful bid for the Tennessee Titans. He bought a piece of the Pittsburgh Steelers, a move apparently designed to get him into the exclusive cabal of owners, with an eye toward purchasing another team.

Reportedly, Haslam’s prospective ownership group includes former Philadelphia Eagles president Joe Banner — which means that the Browns’ president, Mike Holmgren, might be presiding over the last days of his administration. Holmgren was brought in by Lerner, and paid $8 million a year, to handle Lerner’s responsibilities. To that end, Holmgren might have succeeded too well as he has few discernable responsibilities.

Haslam is a businessman, he is well-heeled and he has seen how the Steelers work. Banner had a solid record in Philadelphia, where he worked with Tom Heckert, the respected Browns general manager, and Pat Shurmur, the Browns’ coach.

This is a chance for smart men to give the Browns direction while also maintaining some continuity. Browns fans ought to welcome the change. Their team is on the cusp of acquiring more relevance at the top.

Michael Arace is a sports reporter for The Dispatch.

marace@dispatch.com

@MichaelArace1

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